Category Archives: Activism

Activism, Newburyport, MA, taking direct action to achieve a political, social, cultural, artistic, end

Numbing Silence

Silence.

Except for the TV. Silence.

On warmer days a walk.

On return, check the answering machine. No calls.

Last sibling, in another state, died.

No one to check in with.

After initial condolences–nothing. No cards, no phone calls.

Pick up the phone, can’t call, not there anymore.

5 degrees out. Two small rooms. Too cold to venture forth.

Later in a big, bright, welcoming, safe space, a timid mention of no calls on the answering machine, or any ringing of the telephone at all. The defining and deafening stillness. The numbing fear that results.

Someone listens and hears about whispers of a chilling emptiness, talks to someone else, and the telephone starts to ring once a day. “Telephone Reassurance” program initiated by a Senior Center.

Something to look forward to.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Spoiled Milk

8:00 o’clock in the evening. Forgotten to eat. Look into the frig. The milk looks odd. Not sure why.

Cream colored clumps at the top of the clear plastic bottle. Don’t know.

2 eggs left. Boiling water, not a good idea. Pot is heavy. Spills and burns.

Too tired to scramble.

Too dark at night, too cold, too difficult to plan ahead. No extra money for a pizza. Box too heavy. Delivery person not like putting it on table. Unhappy, no money for a well deserved tip. What to do with the 7 other pieces?

Cereal. Don’t know about the milk. Water from the tap and Cheerios for dinner.

Losing weight.

In a large brightly lit room, warm faces fuss. Despite a lunch-time meal, look thin.

Correct.

Concern about the odd looking milk. Relief. An explanation. Don’t drink it.

A warm unknown friend comes to look at the refrigerator. Sees it empty.

A plan. A person to help.

Who would know if not for that brightly lit, welcoming, warm place. A Senior Center. Enough time to see the difference, how thin. Someone seems to know what to do.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

A Place to Go

Light bulbs.

No light bulbs.

One more lamp is dark. Confusing. Where to get light bulbs? Who would put the light bulbs in?

Going to a large, open, friendly place. Sitting down and discussing. The subject of the darkness of the small two-room apartment comes up.

Ah, a friend, understands about light bulbs. Someone comes over and discovers the two lamps that are dark, really dark, now that the winter days are short. They know how to screw in light bulbs and suddenly the tiny two rooms are no longer dark and frightening, but light and familiar once more.

Such a small thing, light bulbs, but so important.

And if there was no where to go. To a large welcoming place, filled with voices and familiar faces. Just the TV and two small rooms.

That large welcoming place, a Senior Center. A tonic against fear, loneliness and numbing boredom. Not the same as some small unwelcoming and mostly unused room in a housing facility.

In a country where families are fractured, far away from a family member, who would care, or maybe who could care less. Often there is no family member at all. And life in two small rooms often provides little sense of community, little sense of hope. A sense of abandonment, loneliness and fear.

The days are long. No community center to go to, to share even the slightest and mundane dilemma that rarely anyone would think of. Light bulbs, and what to do when they no longer work.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

A Win-Win on the Newburyport City Council Floor

The mood on the Newburyport City Council floor on Monday night October 29, 2007 was, I would say, jovial from the get go– the night that the Fruit Street Local Historic District came up for its final vote.

Often when major decisions are made, the mood on the Newburyport City Council floor could sometimes be tense. On the night the vote for the special election for the Newburyport school override, it felt as if the whole place could be on edge.

But not last night. Last night was a whole different story.

During the “Public Comment” period, a lot of folks spoke on behalf of the Fruit Street Local Historic District, and not the usually faces. And sometimes, for me, the “Public Comment” period is not my favorite part to watch. It often feels painful.

But not last night.

The Newburyport City Council seemed to be genuinely moved by the folks that spoke during the “Public Comment” period.

Karen Battles of the Newburyport Preservation Trust had this to say:

“One of the delights of living here is walking through neighborhood after neighborhood of historic homes. Maybe because we are surrounded by it everyday, we don’t grasp how unbelievably rare this is in this day and age. As more and more places become cookie-cutter subdivisions and the same franchise appears every other block, the authentic becomes more and more valuable. We are the currents stewards of Newburyport, we have not only the right, but the obligation to protect our resources.” (Used with permission)

There was also a great deal of laughter and kidding around. This is not always the case.

And when it came to the vote on the Newburyport City Council floor, Newburyport City Councilor James Shanley spoke most eloquently. And you could almost hear people holding their breath as Richard Jones, the Newburyport City Clerk, called the roll.

And when the vote was not only in favor of the Fruit Street Local Historic District, but was unanimous, applause and cheers spontaneously broke out. A lot of jumping up and down with sheer relief and joy.

This is an example of a project that has taken decades to come about. And the actual creation of the Newburyport Fruit Street Local Historic District took a lot of time (2 years), with a great deal of public input and public process. There were no shortcuts here. And, from what I observed, there was also a great deal of dialogue with the Newburyport City Council and the Mayor as well.

And this combination of productive public process and constructive public dialogue made for a win-win situation, instead of public divisiveness that could occur over a variety of issues.

This whole process is an incredible example of how to get positive things accomplished on the municipal level. And again a big congratulations to everyone involved.

And again (see previous post) this Newburyport City Council 2006-2007 has come so far in working together and working for the good of the citizens of Newburyport, MA, and I am so proud of them. And not to repeat myself, but to repeat myself, I cannot fathom why anyone would say that that would not be so.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

The Fruit Street Local Historic District

Tonight, October 29, 2007, the Newburyport City Council passed the Fruit Street Local Historic District unanimously.

Whew.

I am really proud of this Newburyport City Council. This is an historic moment and they can be very, very proud.

It has taken many, many decades for Newburyport to take this very important step towards protecting our historic assets, something that is so vital to the future of Newburyport, MA.

And I take great exception to 2 candidates running for Newburyport City Councilor at Large, saying that this particular Newburyport City Council either “does not work with the mayor,” or “works against the mayor.”

Excuse me.

This is an incredible example of the mayor and the Newburyport City Council working together for what is best for the city of Newburyport, MA.

And this is also an example of people meeting in the middle and building bridges. I am sure “historic preservationist purists” would have liked a much stronger version of the ordinance than what was passed. And I’m sure that “building rights” folks would have liked to have seen no Fruit Street Local Historic District at all.

But this version of a Local Historic District (LHD) is “Local Historic District light.”

Not too strict and not non-existent. But just right.

Its goal is to be stewards of our historic heritage without being anything close to being tyrants. And the committee that worked so hard for over almost 2 years has my deepest “Thank You.”

A job well done and a great deal of credit to all sorts of deserving folks, including the Newburyport Historical Commission, the Newburyport Office of Planning and Development, the Historical Society of Old Newbury and the Newburyport Preservation Trust. As well as the residents of Fruit Street for setting this amazing example for the citizens of Newburyport, MA.

Mary Eaton
Newburyort

Mr. Steven Karp and Downtown Newburyport

The corner of State Street and Middle Street in downtown Newburyport, MA.

I walked by the store that used to be the Candle and Mug shop. A much beloved place, accessible to all socio economic groups of folks.

This is one of the properties that is now owned by Newburyport’s new landlord, Mr. Steven Karp.

The first time I walked by, it was about to pour rain, so I didn’t go in. But I went back the next day.

The shop, that just opened, sells shoes (and a few clothes, but mostly shoes).

It has a very “up-scale” look.

(Note to readers: I probably am one of the few women in the USA who doesn’t love shoes. That’s just me. But I respect all those folks out there who do love shoes.)

I went into the shop and picked up a very nice looking pair of shoes, and went, “Ooops, not in my price range.”

Then I went and picked up another pair of shoes and went, “Oooo, really not in my price range.”

Then I saw a pair of boots and when I looked at the price, I said to myself, “Don’t even go there.”

And finally, I saw a pair of men’s shoes that I was impressed by, but when I saw the price, I went, “Say what?”

Let’s just say this is not a place that middle income families are going to be shopping at a lot. This store is definitely geared towards the more “well to do.”

And this is where Mr. Karp could be headed with Newburyport, MA.

This is not a chain store. This is a store out of Maine, that is beginning to expand (one day it might become a chain store, but it now has 6 stores, so it’s not chain store at the moment.)

This is a privately owned, family run business, not local, but out of New England (Maine). It’s been around since 1830. All very hard to argue with.

It is also aimed at a certain socio economic group. (It does not fit in with the goals of our Master Plan.)

Sigh.

So, enjoy places like Angies. Give the “buyLocal” stores in town that appeal to all socio economic groups of people, lots of patronage, because it would be my guess that they would need it.

If the new shop at the corner of Middle and State Street (as nice as it might be) is any indication of where Mr. Karp might be going, it could be a pretty good indicator of the direction that Newburyport might be taking in the next 10 years.

(For those who might not know, Mr. Karp owns a great deal of downtown Newburyport, and has bought up a great deal of waterfront property in Newburyport, MA.)

And I don’t know, my guess would be that if folks might not like it, that if this would be in fact Mr. Karp’s objective, that there would not be much that anyone could do about it. (To re-state the obvious, this is the danger of one person owning so much vital property in Newburyport, MA.)

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

(Editor’s Note: Mr. Karp has been on a many people’s minds the last few days. BuyLocal sponsored and co-sponsored two events this weekend. And Ed Cameron has recently blogged about Mr. Karp noting that the phrase “high-end consumer” appeared to be a phrase that is often used. And Tom Salemi on his blog is doing some major in-depth blogging on Mr. Steven Karp.)

Newburyport Activists

As an (sort of former) activist (fighting to save High Street, etc.) I am very sympathetic to activists who contact the Newburyport Blog, hoping that I would give a plug to their cause.

This is what I learned as an activist fighting to save High Street (starting in 1999).

There are times when folks pay a great deal of attention to what you might be saying. And then there are times that no matter what you do, people simply are not listening, especially the way you might like them to. And there is really nothing an activist can do when this happens.

An activist can push their agenda during these fallow activist times, but my experience has been that if folks aren’t in the listening mood, that it could often be a waste of time and energy, which might be better saved for a more seasoned moment.

“Timing is everything,” certainly applies.

And sometimes pushing an agenda could backfire.

My experience is that after a certain point, folks in the political world know what the activist agendas are that are out there. And what I have found is that pushing an agenda when folks aren’t ready to act at that moment, could make whoever it might be, feel pushed into a corner. And instead of “cooperating,” whoever it might be, could be pushed the other way.

And as I continue to blog the Newburyport Blog, one of the things that I find that I often try to do, is try to listen to what the residents of Newburyport, MA might be willing to hear.

And if my gut tells me, don’t push that particular issue now, and then I go ahead and do it anyway, because I feel really sympathetic or pressured or whatever, it almost always backfires.

So activists out there, it’s not that I haven’t read your emails or heard your requests, it is that I am waiting for what feels to me to be the right time to blog about whatever it might be that you could be passionate about.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Wards and Politics in Newburyport, MA

I was sitting in a Newburyport City Council subcommittee meeting once. It was over a particular issue, and one councilor there was keeping track of which Wards the people (it was jammed) spoke from.

This puzzled me. This puzzled me a lot.

And it’s not until recently that I’ve begun to figure that one out.

A lot of the folks who spoke were from Ward 1 and 2. And I thought, so what?

But now I am beginning to understand. Ward 1, 2 and 3 are the “liberal” wards. And Ward 4, 5, and 6 are the “conservative” wards.

Another light bulb is going on for this blogger.

(I think the Newburyport city councilor was noting that the comments were mainly coming from the “liberal” wards. And the thought would be, that the comments would not represent the city as a whole.)

And many people ask me who do I think would win for mayor of Newburyport, MA.

And looking at the primary votes for mayor of Newburyport, MA, this is what I think.

Dan McCarthy’s votes, and Steve Cole’s votes would probably be divided between “liberal” and “conservative” voters.

Mayor John Moak sailed in the “conservative” Wards of 4, 5 and 6.

It was closer in Wards 1, 2 and 3.

So, my thought is, if Jim Stiles would win for mayor of Newburyport, MA, Mr. Stiles would, I believe, have to win or do very, very well in the more liberal Wards of 1, 2 and 3. And get a good percentage of the votes in the “conservative” Wards of 4, 5 and 6.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Futility of Writing to Politicians

Note to self:

Writing to politicians (with the exception of the “bald guy,” see earlier entry) about how the new Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act might have a few “flaws,” apparently is a giant waste of time.

Letter(s) back…

A) Obviously didn’t read my letter(s) because it/them never addressed the issue that I was talking about…. i.e. wild health care expense for self-employed and small businesses, nifty new health insurance act, NOT working.

B) Attitude… we worked on this thing like crazy and really don’t want to hear that anything is wrong with it. So would you please “shut up.” (Letter(s) actually much more subtle than that.)

C) Staff at politician’s place seem to have “stock” letter for each political issue. And who in the world would think of using turquoise colored ink for the automatic signature thing. Gesh.

D) Attitude by Democratic responder to moi, the respondee… a lot like Bush’s attitude towards the war in Iraq. In too deep to even question whether the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act is actually working or not. “Ouch.” Yes, hope that one hurt, it was meant to.

E) Obviously, responder(s) had not read Alice Dembner’s article in the Boston Globe, August 17, 2007 “Older residents feel insurance law pinch, Age-based prices too high for some.” (Please press here to read the article), or decided to ignore it.

F) Obviously responder(s) did not empathize with woman in the article who (in an obvious desperate attempt) to save money to pay for the “new” health care (which is “less comprehensive” than her old health insurance policy) eats popcorn some nights for dinner.

G) Responder(s) either seemed unaware, or chose to ignore the statement in the article by Alice Dembner, that actually health insurance under the new law is NOT “affordable” for all, but to the contrary, “insurance is unaffordable for some.”

Note to self:

Remember politician(s) who were “out to lunch” on my impassioned letters to them.

Remember politician(s) who appear to think the new Massachusetts Health Care Reform act is the “bees’ knees.” (The “bees’ knees” was an expression of my mother’s from either the 1930’s or 1940’s. This would have dated my mother big time, or made her really “cool,” take your pick.)

Just because politician(s) has/have a good head of hair (i.e. not bald–see earlier entry) and may be “easy on the eyes,” (see earlier entry) doesn’t necessarily mean they give a flying leap about moi (or you, the Newburyport Blog reader, either, for that matter).

And especially remember that a certain Republican politician who is running for president, used to be the Massachusetts governor, and is touting the Massachusetts Health Reform Act as the savior for American health insurance woes, really could care less if this particular blogger is trying to scream so loud that “god pees.” (Yes, see earlier entry again.)

That human being really does NOT want to know that the beloved “Act” could use a little “tweaking.”

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Becoming Involved in Newburyport, MA

When I first started getting involved in politics in 1999, when it finally dawned on me after 9 months of the Newburyport City Council, the Newburyport Historical Commission, Mayor Mary Carrier and various concerned citizens trying to get the public to pay attention to the fact that Newburyport’s High Street was about to be destroyed, I knew absolutely nothing about how the City of Newburyport, MA was/is run.

I knew that we had a mayor and a city council. I could not have told you how many city councilors there were or who my city councilor was.

I had no idea that there was such a thing as the Newburyport Historical Commission. I thought like a lot of people that the Historical Society of Old Newbury was the Newburyport Historical Commission. I found out that that is not the case. That they are two completely different entities.

I had a huge learning curve. And when I started the Newburyport Blog in January 2006, it became obvious right away to me, that there was a whole lot, lot more to learn. And as far as I’m concerned, the city is so complex, that my learning curve is going to be a life long learning curve.

I’m always amazed at how many people are involved in all the volunteer boards and committees. It’s really astounding to me the amount of dedicated volunteer citizen participation that there has been over the years.

And it also comes as no surprise that a lot of the populace of Newburyport, MA is like me in back in 1999, even though they may glance at the various media outlets now and then, most people’s knowledge of how Newburyport, MA works boils down to the fact that we have a mayor and a city council.

So when a “crisis” happens in the city of Newburyport, MA, whether it has to do with the possibility of an unwanted house being built next door, or a crisis in our the Newburyport schools or any number of other things, to me it seems like an opportunity. It appears to me that it is one of the main ways people who have never thought of getting involved, get involved.

People may scream about NIMBYs, but it is usually those folks that sit up and start paying attention.

A classic example is Sarah White and Steve Rudolph who became involved in Save Our Town and the Newburyport Preservation Trust because of a possible infill project in their neighborhood. And how lucky are we to have this young couple take such an interest in Newburyport, MA.

And they are just one of many.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Celebrating Newburyport’s Historic Preservation

I was reading Saturday’s Newburyport Daily News, “Man behind Market Square wins preservation award,” by Steve Landwehr, about how Paul McGinley is being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Boston Preservation Alliance for a number of preservation projects including Newburyport’s very own Market Square.

That’s cool. In fact that’s very cool.

I’m reading along:

“McGinley was working for an engineering firm in 1970 when he heard Newburyport was looking for someone to direct its renewal. He applied and got the job of executive director of the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority…

He inherited a program that was already in debt and needed even more money. In fact, the only reason he got the job was the city ran out of cash to demolish the downtown and put up a single-story shopping mall.”
Newburyport Daily News, April 28, 2007

Wait a moment. Excuse me?

“In fact, the only reason he got the job was the city ran out of cash to demolish the downtown and put up a single-story shopping mall.”

Whoa, whoa. Slow down here.

The article is saying that the only reason Newburyport, MA exists the way it does today is because the city of Newburyport, MA ran out of money?

I have never heard this one before. This little tidbit of information is not a part of our “urban legend.” Our “urban legend” is full of heroes and farsighted thinkers, not running out of money.

And just for reminders sake, here is a picture of the model (courtesy of the Historical Society of Old Newbury, now being displayed at the Newburyport Daily News) of what the city would have looked like with that “single-story shopping mall.”

NRA.model-1.jpg
Model of what Newburyport, MA
would have looked like with the single-story shopping mall

Market-Sq.jpg
Market Square today

In fact, Newburyport, MA exists the way it does today because of so many thoughtful, heroic and farsighted people.

And in the year 2007, there is a “new” set of folks who have stepped up to the plate, the Newburyport Preservation Trust.

The Newburyport Preservation Trust was started by Linda Miller, and has recently really taken off.

And next Saturday, the Newburyport Preservation Trust celebrates its first annual Preservation Week from May 5- 12, 2007.

For more information press here for the Trust’s main website. Or you can also press here to take you directly to the “Events” page of the Newburyport Preservation Trust.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Municipal Partnership Act

My question:

If the spring $1.58 million override for Newburyport’s schools does pass, what would be the next thing folks would advocate for?

If the spring $1.58 million override for Newburyport’s schools does not pass, what would be the next thing folks would advocate for?

And that brings me to my mucho research and major learning curve- the governor’s Municipal Partnership Act. (You see I’m trying to do the “unite” folks thing here.)

“Gov. Patrick called the soaring property tax burden in Massachusetts “a crisis,” and said cities and towns desperately need the ability to broaden their revenue options and reduce reliance on the property tax. He said his proposal would provide “real property tax relief.” ”
Massachusetts Municipal Association (www.mma.org) April 10, 2007

* Opening the state Group Insurance Commission to municipal workers, thereby saving money on health-insurance premiums.

* Realizing better investment returns for retirees’ pensions and lowering the administrative costs of managing the local pension funds.

* Allowing cities and towns to vote on a 1 or 2 percent tax on meals and hotels. 25 cents of every dollar generated by this option would go directly to property tax relief for seniors.

* Updating a century-old provision that exempts telecommunications companies from paying property taxes on their poles.”
www.patricdeval.com

For the entire explanation please press here.

Folks in opposition to the Municipal Partnership Act:

“The plan is to impose a new tax to take care of that pesky old tax.”
blog.worcestercountyrepublicanclub.com, February 27th, 2007

And to deal aggressively with unions:

“The increase is driven mostly by exploding increases in health insurance and retirement costs taxpayers pay for our union town employees – our policemen, firemen, and teachers. This is because public workers pay as little as 10 percent towards their own health and retirement benefits – taxpayers pay the rest. Citizens in the private sector generally pay a much higher percent of their own health and retirement benefits – and many are lucky to have these benefits at all…

What can you do to make the new contracts fairer for taxpayers?

…demand that taxpayers be relieved from paying such a high and unfair percentage of the health and retirement benefits in the new union contracts…”
blog.worcestercountyrepublicanclub.com, February 28, 2007

So, depending on your point of view, there does appear to be ways that folks could advocate for control on local spending and relief from local property taxes, all of which have nothing to do with a local override, which appears to me to be polarizing the community of Newburyport, MA.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Political Timing

Since my involvement as an activist in the fight to save High Street, I’ve become aware that there appears to be a rhythm in public interest in any one particular issue. An ebb and flow if you will.

I can remember when High Street seemed to continually make the front page of the local media outlets. And then there would be a time, when no matter what people did, no one appeared to be interested in the issue at all.

But in its own time, the subject once again made front page news. The interest in the issue seemed to have a life of its own, and there appeared that there could be no way to control it.

This can be both puzzling and frustrating for someone who is advocating for a particular cause.

For the last few weeks the $1.58 million override for the Newburyport schools appears to have been the dominant topic. I would imagine that until the May 22, 2007 special spring election for the Newburyport schools takes place, the $1.58 million override would remain in the forefront of people’s minds. However, even that matter is beginning to faded somewhat from the collective consciousness.

The ordinance concerning the balance of chain stores and smaller entrepreneurial endeavors has appeared to have ignited local attention, at least for the time being.

People who are advocating to save the Wheelwright property have expressed their frustrations to me, that no matter what they might do, they are having very little success at the moment at getting people to pay attention to that issue at all.

I explain that it is all about timing. And part of good political activism is putting one’s ear to the ground and listening for the time when folks would once again be interested in a specific concern.

The same thing appears to apply to the question of a garage. Whether a garage for downtown may or may not be a good idea is almost moot. Folks simply do not seem to be interested in the subject. And since Mayor John Moak was elected in part because people did not want a garage, getting folks to pay attention to that particular matter is proving difficult.

Again it’s a matter of timing. Listening for the right moment. No amount of shouting from the roof tops would make the community listen, not if they are not inclined.

The Newburyport landfill is another example. A nightmare that has been going on for years that effects everyone one way or another in Newburyport, MA. The myriad of problems have not gone away, but the matter has peaks and valleys when it comes down to public attention.

The intricacies of politics have always intrigued me. And since I’ve been blogging, I have found that the nuances of political complexities are yet more intricate and even more fascinating.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Effective Activist Efforts

Watching all the political activity that has been going on in Newburyport, MA lately, I’ve been learning a lot. I’ve been learning what appears to be effective demeanor and conduct as an activist and what might not be.

When Allyson Lawless came before the Newburyport City Council last Monday night, I thought it was a textbook presentation.

I was watching the Newburyport City Council meeting on TV from the comfort of my comfy chair, so this was not an on hand observation. But still, the TV thing works for me.

Ms Lawless appeared out of breath (it appeared the lady in question had been making her way through a packed Newburyport City Council chamber.) She was obviously nervous and took a moment to compose herself.

The Newburyport City Council was addressed with sincere respect.

I have often seen folks come before the Newburyport City Council and various Newburyport boards and committees and open up with something along the lines of “I really appreciate the opportunity of speaking here tonight,” or whatever.

And at times there is a subtle inflection of tone, where the underlining message that comes across is “I’m here tonight because I think you all are idiots (with a possible few exceptions) and I want to persuade you, manipulate you, do anything I can, to make you vote the way I think is the right way for you to vote.”

It’s a very subtle thing, but Ms Lawless, in my opinion, nailed it.

And the subject that Ms Lawless was bringing forth was the ordinance regulating chain stores in Newburyport, MA, which, I suppose, has the potential of being an emotionally charged issue.

The impression Ms Lawless gave (at least from my comfy seat) was that there was no ultimatum here. Hopefully this was the beginning of a discussion and a dialogue on how downtown Newburyport, MA might find an appropriate balance between local entrepreneurs and larger establishments.

With an introductory discussion taking place this Wednesday night at 6:30 at Newburyport City Hall, one hopes that very reasonable and reasoned tone could continue.

And reading today’s Newburyport Daily News, April 17, 2007 on Dr. Robert Wilkins, the activist who helped save downtown Newburyport, MA, there was this wonderful quote which refers to his “kind heart, love of humanity and community, incredible resilience and good nature.”

And maybe that is the key to being a good activist (and Dr. Wilkins was certainly the example of the ultimate Newburyport activist), a kind heart and a genuine love of the community of Newburyport, MA.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

(Editor’s Note: At this point the Newburyport Blog, a local blog, only has national advertising. This is an irony that is by no means lost on the editor of the Newburyport Blog.)

Newburyport, Reforms that Would Save Money

It appears to me that Newburyport, MA is hardly alone in its financial “crisis.” Whether it applies to the Newburyport schools, or all the other myriad of financial issues.

It appears that Mayor John Moak could be seriously thinking of asking the people of Newburyport, MA to pay for those extra financial items (2 to 4 million according to the Newburyport Daily News, April 13, 2007), by possibly putting another vote for tax increases on the November ballot (in addition to the spring override for the Newburyport schools, $1.58 million).

In the Boston Globe, April 1, 2007 there is an article by John C. Drake called “50 towns tackle property tax hikes, Walpole says no; Scituate vote is split.” And at the end of that article there is this quote:

“Barbara Anderson , executive director of Citizens for Limited Taxation and one of the state’s leading proponents of Proposition 2 1/2, said towns seeking state tax reform are doing themselves a disservice by depending on overrides.

“It’s so much easier to put an override on the ballot and whine about the fact there’s not enough local aid, instead of fighting for reforms that will in the long run save the money,” she said.”

I would love to see all the energy presently directed at the override for Newburyport’s schools (for and against) and all the people that have been newly engaged in the political process, directed towards long term solutions. Fighting for “reforms” would seem like a long term solution to me.

I had never heard of Barbara Anderson, but in the small amount of research that I’ve done, Barbara Anderson is big stuff.

I have no idea what “reforms” Barbara Anderson could be referring to, but I would love to know.

If any of the readers of the Newburyport Blog do know, I am looking for information and education on this subject, for myself and to pass on that information and education to the readers of the Newburyport Blog.

And if you would be able to help, please email me. And also please include specific sources where I can verify the information. I’m looking for good solid facts, not opinion.

Thanks so much,
Mary Eaton
Editor of the Newburyport Blog

Newburyport, supportNBPT.org Meeting

Dear Newburyport Citizen,

As an active and concerned member of the Newburyport community, I urge you to join us upstairs at the Grog on Thursday, March 29th, at 7pm to learn more about how you can make a difference in:

– preserving the local character of Newburyport
– supporting locally-owned independent businesses
– preventing chains from taking over the downtown and waterfront

We are supportNBPT.org, an organization dedicated to educating the public about the benefits of locally-owned independent businesses, and advocating for the citizens of Newburyport in order to guide development in our city that will benefit the community. The March 29th meeting will focus on presenting our goals and taking questions from the community. Specifically, we will discuss a formula store ordinance we are drafting to present to city council in April. The ordinance would encourage locally owned businesses, and place limits on the number and extent of formula businesses (“chains”) in the downtown and waterfront areas of our city.

Our objective is to prevent national chains from taking over downtown Newburyport and detracting from the unique character of the city that we all love. Newburyport already has a Starbucks, four Dunkin Donuts (one downtown), a Talbots and more. With an $800 million commercial development project being planned on our waterfront and other possibilities along State and Pleasant streets, supportNBPT.org will be providing a voice for the citizens of Newburyport who value locally-owned, independent businesses.

We are taking a proactive stance to protect our unique downtown character and direct growth towards the benefit of the community, not just large corporations. Please join us, and Spread The Word!!

When: Thu March 29, 7-9pm
Where: Upstairs at the Grog, 13 Middle St, Newburyport
Cost: Free admission, although we welcome donations; cash bar

RSVP: Send e-mail to info@supportnbpt.org. Please indicate the number of people who will be attending.

For more information, go to www.supportNBPT.org.

Best Regards,
The supportNBPT.org Organization

BuyLocal.jpg

Gene Volovich
Newburyport

Newburyport, Mangling Our Historic Assets

More mangling of our historic assets. Oy veh.

64-66 Lime Street. We are talking about Stickney’s neighborhood store (c1850), a neighborhood store which I have always loved, but hey they want to sell it.

And we are talking about a very old gambrel (c1735) that also goes with the property that also runs along Milk Street. That’s the one I really care about.

And the developers, 
Mark DePiero, president of DePiero LLC, and Steve Coyle, president of MSC Realty Development (Newburyport Daily News, March 8, 2007) would like to demolish them both and put up two, not one, two 2,300 and 2,700 square feet homes.

Yikes.

This in from the Newburyport Preservation Trust:

“To implement their development plan, the proposed buyer(s) will need a Section 6C Special Permit from the Planning Board in order to build 2 new buildings on this lot. The lot size is listed at 4,920 sq feet. According to the Planning Office, the minimum lot size required to build a single-family home in this district is 8,000 sq feet.”

Excuse me.

These folks are also going to need Special Permits/Variances from the Newburyport Zoning Board of Appeals, as well as being excused by the Newburyport Historical Commission for a Demolition Delay.

Ok, Mark DePiero has good taste. But he does replicas. If there is a vacant lot, Ok, a replica (maybe).

But here, we are talking about tearing down an historic asset, something that makes it economically worthwhile for everybody in Newburyport, MA. The reason people want to live, work, visit and play in this place. And put up a replica for the real existing deal.

This makes me want to scream.

And this is a tiny lot. 4,920 Square Feet. Two large structures on 4,920 Square feet.

Say what?

So I hope (March 27, 2007 is when it is on the docket) that the Newburyport Zoning Board of Appeals says “NO, NO, NO, you do not get to destroy Newburyport’s historic assets, the city of Newburyport, MA will not be diminished one more time.”

I hope the Newburyport Zoning Board of Appeals says a big fat “no thank you.”

For goodness sakes, restore the historic asset, bring it back to it’s glory. Make us all proud.

So far Mr. DePiero has gotten a bit of a pass. But not after this one folks. Don’t let this one happen. Please. Not when there are so many tangible reasons NOT to let this one take place.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

(Editor’s note: Proposed 64-66 Lime Street plot plan. PDF version. Courtesy of the Newburyport Preservation Trust.)

Newburyport, Influence of Infill

I was invited to a very nice gathering at the Newburyport Preservation Trust for its members and friends. The Newburyport Preservation Trust– a fledgling non-profit organization, with gobs of potential, with at last I knew, 120 members and growing.

My, a lot of new faces. And Historic Preservation can be so boring.

So why, I asked myself, this sudden interest and enthusiasm. Multi-determined, I’m sure.

A lot of “wakeup calls” from “infill” in literally backyards. There’s nothing like an objectionable project next door to make one suddenly become mucho interested in “zoning,” which is usually a major snooze factor.

Or to have an “infill” project next door, maybe not literally next door, but in one’s town, next door, a la the proposed Wheelwright property development. That seems to have gotten people very interested in what they might do to “save our town.”

And, much to my delight, the mayor of Newburyport, MA was not only invited, but showed up to this gathering of people interested in preserving our historic assets, the basis of our economic success now, and our economic strength in the future.

Good for Mayor John Moak. I really and truly was really pleased (all silliness on my part aside).

There were a number of Newburyport City Councilors there as well.

And the meet and greet turned out to be a tonic for civic burn-out, as well as just being plain old downright fun.

So good for the Newburyport Preservation Trust. Keep up the good work. And may the Newburyport Preservation Trust fulfill the potential that so many of us think that it could have.

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

(Editor’s note: The Newburyport Preservation Trust was formed in 2005 as a non-profit organization. It’s mission is to inform, educate and advocate for the enhancement and preservation of Newburyport’s unique historic character and architectural legacy.)

Newburyport, The Waterfront

Is anyone who has been following the riveting Central Waterfront ongoing saga now surprised that Mayor John Moak did not reappoint Janet Marcus, the current chair of the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority?

Well, I gotta tell you, I’m not.

No big surprise here. Mayor John Moak has been upfront and center about his wish to have LOTS of parking on Newburyport’s Central Waterfront, and there was some disagreement on this one on Ms Marcus’s part. (Is this an understatement? Yes.)

And should Patricia Dorfman, the former Executive Director of the Customs House Maritime Museum as an appointee be a huge surprise? I don’t think so.

Ms Dorfman has stated her understanding for parking in regards to the Customs House Maritime Museum, and perhaps Mr. Moak is hoping for a receptive ear.

My experience is that Ms Dorfman is a very bright young lady. And it is also my experience with very bright young ladies is that they are not always as predictable as one might expect. Don’t put any money down on this one yet, folks. I’m not.

And my experience is that Ms Dorfman is very personable and easy to get along with. This seems to be a prerequisite when it comes to Moakian appointments. Is this a terrible, terrible character flaw? In my book there are a whole lot worse, let me tell you.

Ok, so let’s say that this the worse case scenario happens. All Mayor Moak’s appointments turn out to share and vote for his very focused goal of having LOTS of parking on the Central Waterfront and NOT paying any attention to the people’s wishes in 2 surveys of having half park and half parking.

What Mayor John Moak does not appear to grasp yet, is if the “all-parking” thing actually got voted on, it would be litigated in the courts for years.

Legally the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will not allow it. And forget about the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, war chests in Newburyport, MA are most probably already being stocked for this very possible conclusion.

My money is on Ms Dorfman being fair and balanced. But whether she would be fair and balanced or not, one thing seems to be almost guaranteed, no matter what happens, the Central Waterfront Saga may “delight” and “entertain” us for years and possibly yet many more duplicate decades to come. This is only the 85th act of goodness knows how many acts of the Central Waterfront performance to follow.

And yet one more thing. I hear “newbies” (good grief, I a “newbie never a native” who has been here for “only” 26 years, am now calling 5-10 year transplants “newbies”) speculating on all kinds of things that might be possible on the Central Waterfront property.

To these “5-10” year “newbies,” whatever you have thought of, has not only been thought of before, but has been vigorously fought over before. But, hey, if everyone wants to fight about those things all over again, go right ahead. Just “enhances” the Central Waterfront drama that much more.

Who’s to say there should be any time limit on this saga. A half a century, a full century, maybe even 2 full centuries. Why not go for the Guinness Book of Records for the longest and “most delightful” civic brawl?

Mary Eaton
Newburyport

Newburyport, Historic Assets Lost

I had seen these photographs before, but had never been able to find them again. And they were right under my nose, online, on the website of the City of Newburyport, under the Newburyport Public Library, photo archives.

The pictures I was looking for were those of Newburyport’s historic High Street that were taken right before Route 1 went in and all those houses on High Street were destroyed in (I believe) 1934.

Summer-HS-Winter .dest.jpg
High Street between Summer Street and Winter Street
Area destroyed for Route 1
Courtesy of the Newburyport Archival Center
at the Newburyport Public Library

This next photograph I believe was taken a little later. It is also the area of High Street between Winter and Summer Streets, historic assets that were lost and that can never be replaced.

SumWintHS.destroyed.jpg
High Street between Summer Street and Winter Street
Area destroyed for Route 1
Courtesy of the Newburyport Archival Center
at the Newburyport Public Library

And I also found this photograph in the Newburyport Public Library Archival Center of that neighborhood after the destruction. The photograph is of the bridge being build between Winter and Summer Street.

Summer.St.Bridge_n-LB.jpg
Bridge being built between Summer and Winter Street
For Route 1
Courtesy of the Newburyport Archival Center
at the Newburyport Public Library

For me that is a devastating photograph, especially knowing now what would have been there. And when one looks at the automobiles in the photograph above (although, yes, I know things have slightly changed, for goodness sakes) one wonders if the loss of all those neighborhoods, family homes, historic assets was worth it. It feels like part of the soul of Newburyport, MA was slashed away.

We are still losing our historic assets in Newburyport’s Historic District. It’s just not quite as obvious, dramatic or shocking.

And as a community, not just the 15% (maybe) ( and if you are reading the Newburyport Political Blog, you are probably part of that 15%) that pay attention, do we care? And how do we get the other 85% to look around and think about what is happening now in Newburyport, MA?

Unless something is happening in someone’s backyard, most people in Newburyport, MA are “asleep at the wheel,” so to speak. How do we wake up the rest of the residents of Newburyport, MA from their vapid stupor?

Mary Eaton
Newburyport